Sassarini: “We will step onto the pitch without being afraid to make mistakes” | OneFootball

There is plenty of excitement around Inter Women as they prepare for their historic UEFA Women’s Champions League debut. The Nerazzurre will make their first appearance in Europe’s top club competition on Tuesday 22 September at 18:45 CEST, when they face Hacken at Stadio Brianteo in Monza.

Nerazzurro head coach David Sassarini and Irene Santi previewed the game by answering the media’s questions at a press conference.

Coach, this is your first European eve of the season, earned on the back of a great comeback against Wolfsburg. Did that comeback change the perception of the team and its potential in Europe?

“At the start, you always think about understanding where you are. We know where we are: the journey is only just beginning and the team still has to come together and be forged. The game against Wolfsburg was, at the very least, a way for us to break through.”

What are your objectives in this competition and what would you like to see from the team tomorrow?

“The objective is to learn, to try to play our game and also to make mistakes. I always say that it’s fundamental for me to see mistakes. I don’t like timid players: I want to see plenty of mistakes, because both I and the players can make them. There are good things within errors, and that is part of the process of building the team that we have started: forging ourselves, playing our game and being dominant. Even when things are going badly, the game can turn around, and we showed that in the second leg against Wolfsburg. We have to maintain this mentality of wanting to keep playing, both when things are going well and when they aren’t. That’s the only way to become a strong team. We have to be courageous and aware that we will make plenty of mistakes, but that they are part of the game and part of being ourselves.”

How far along are you in your work with the group and the new additions at this early stage of the season?

“If you ask me what my starting eleven is, I don’t have one yet. I have a group that works well and works hard, and if the team is already showing this level of focus, commitment, determination and tactical attention to detail, it’s certainly thanks to their application and openness in embracing a new idea. That is down to them. I also believe that reaching the Champions League is part of a cycle that began many years ago, with coaches who did a great job and players who continued to drive this ambition forward.”

Against Wolfsburg, the team showed that they can suffer, react and remain true to themselves. Tomorrow, Inter may be expected to take more control of the game: does that change anything in terms of your principles?

“I’ve watched all of Hacken’s games. They’ve played a lot because they’re almost at the end of their league season. They are a courageous team like us, so I expect a good game because they have courage and are willing to take risks. It won’t be an easy game. They won’t let us play because they’ll want to play themselves. We’ll have to be good at finding the right balance, exploiting their weaknesses and limiting their strengths. We know what we need to do during the game. It won’t be easy, but we’ll try to do well.”

After the game against Wolfsburg, you spoke about the importance of details. Is there one in particular that could have an impact on tomorrow’s game?

“There are many. I can’t point to one specific detail. If you want to have the ball, you need to know how to win it back. There are many phases within a game and this will be an important one. We are a strong team with quality that wants to learn. Tomorrow will already be a first opportunity to learn, with the awareness that we will try to win.”

You have Irene beside you. What do you expect from the more experienced players who are used to playing this kind of game?

“Not to worry if they make a mistake. They have to make them. I’m the one responsible.”

If you had to identify an objective for your European campaign, would you rather talk about results or the growth of the Inter Women project at international level?

“The journey goes hand in hand with results, but what matters to me is building a team that doesn’t have highs and lows and isn’t affected by the result. Whether we are ahead or behind, it matters little: there are 100 minutes and we have to play all of them with the idea of trying to score. There are moments when you have to be intelligent: you can go behind, but there are always ten minutes in which you can come back, and the same applies if you go ahead. You keep playing. That has to be the team’s mentality. It takes a journey; that has to be the team’s mentality.”

These were Irene Santi’s comments:

What does it feel like on the eve of your first Champions League game?

“We’re very excited. We really want to do well tomorrow, but we know that we have to control our emotions and go onto the pitch focused on doing what we’ve prepared during the week.”

What does this Champions League journey mean to you after so many years at Inter?

“It means a lot. I’m very happy to have reached this point with this team. We also tried to achieve this objective in previous years. The first time provides a special feeling, so there’s a lot of excitement and a desire to show that we can compete at this level.”

You faced Hacken last year. What challenges does tomorrow’s game present?

“We faced Hacken in the Europa Cup, a competition they went on to win. All the Champions League games will be difficult and will have to be approached with the utmost concentration. We’ve studied their strengths and will try to contain them so that we can do what we need to do.”

You secured qualification by coming from behind to beat Wolfsburg, in a game that could change the team’s belief. Does Inter enter Europe with a different mentality?

“That game gave us a huge boost. Getting through against a historic team like Wolfsburg in this competition gives you a lot of confidence. We’ll try to carry everything we did in that game forward.”

The coach places a lot of emphasis on duels and details. As a midfielder, which detail can make the biggest difference?

“Getting to the ball before the opposition, winning as many duels as possible and trying to maintain balance.”

The Champions League puts you up against six very strong opponents. Is there one game you’re particularly looking forward to?

“Honestly, I’m looking forward to all of them. We couldn’t wait for this, so we have to enjoy every single one. They’re all great games.”

If, at the end of the game, you had to choose one thing to take away from it, the result, the performance or the confidence that comes from playing at this level, which would you choose?

“The confidence, but they all follow on from one another: the performance and the result give you confidence.”

What do you think walking out onto the pitch tomorrow will be like?

“Beautiful and emotional, but we’ll have to realise where we are because we’ve earned this and we can have our say.”